“Today’s decision by the U.S. Supreme Court comes as both a tremendous disappointment and dangerous precedent for years to come. Forcing Americans to buy a private product or service of the government’s choosing, under threat of financial penalty, opens the door for unchecked federal power for future generations. There is simply no limiting principle after today’s decision, and federal mandates that a citizen purchase a certain kind of car or consume healthier foods are no longer as far fetched as they once seemed.

The so-called Affordable Care Act, or ObamaCare, will have devastating effects on Arizona once it is fully implemented. The Medicare tax increase takes effect in 2013, as well as taxes on medical devices and other products, which will have a detrimental effect on job creation.

The centralized bureaucracies and endless new regulations and mandates will accelerate Arizona’s already dangerous doctor shortage. As the Arizona Republic recently pointed out, our state needs 2,400 physicians just to come up to the national average. The Court’s limited reading of withholding Medicaid funds notwithstanding, the law would increase Medicaid enrollment in Arizona by 36% or more, while Arizona taxpayers will be forced to pay for 10% of these new enrollees by 2020, at a cost of over $850 million.

There is now only one remaining opportunity to overturn this terrible law – this November’s elections. Any remaining doubt that this coming election is the most important in generations should now be settled.”